Improvement in clocks



UNITED STATES vI-JATENT OFFICEo HERMAN A. T. REINEOKE, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOCKS.

Specification fomirg part of Letieis Patent No. 151,056, dated May 19, i874; application filed April l., 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', HERMAN A. T. REI- NEGKE, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates more especially to that class of clocks which are formed with a transparent dial to be placed before a light, the transmission of which through the dial enables the observer to read the time indicated; and its object is to producea clock of this class which may be used in this manner, and as an ordinary clock to be hun g upon the wall, and which shall be simpler in construction and neater in form. The invention consists essentially of a clock'composed of a rigid frame of suitable form, in which is secured a preferably fiat translucent dial behind, and at the center of which is arranged a disk, which retains the works, and is supported by an outwardly-inclined arm attached to the frame; the frame being provided at the back with two projecting arms, the lower one having a protruding shank formed to enter the socket of a short bracket attachable to a gas-burner or other source of light, by means of which the clock is held upright before the iia1ne,the upper -arm being formed with a perforated lug, by

which the clock may be hung upon the wall when in ordinary use, in which case the lower arm rests against the wall, and acts as a brace to retain the clock in aposition parallelwith the wall. It consists also in a removable cap, which covers and protects the works attached to the central disk by bayonet-fastenings, and secured from accidentalremoval by theretained winding-key, and in the combination with the clock-frame of a reversible supporting-bracket, capable, by inversion, of supporting the clock either before or behind the light, as desired; also, in a winding-key provided with a groove upon its periphery, into which a spring, secured preferably to the removable cap, projects, and preventsthe accidental removal of the key, but allows its rotation for winding purposes, the retraction of which spring allows the removal of the key when required.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of my improved clock, shown arran ged before a gas-burner, the dial and dial-frame being in section. Fig. 2 is a full side elevation of the same hung upon the wall. Fig. 3 is an elevation viewed from the back of the clock, and Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the mode of holding the winding-key in place.

As shown in the drawings, a a is a rigid frame of anysuitable form or design, into which is embedded a dial, I) b, preferably translucent. From the lower end of the frame an arm, fz', proj eets backwardly, and upon its end is formed a shank, j", adapted to enter a socket, g, in the bracket h, attached to the gas-burner. From the top ofthe frame another arm, lf, projects backwardly, and upon it is formed a perforated lug, l, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. A circular disk, c, rests against the back of the dial at the center, leaving an annular space exposed, upon which the hours are marked. This disk is supported by an outwardly curved or'inclined arm, e, which extends therefrom, and is secured by the screw p to a triangular projection upon the end of the arm t'. The arm c is forked, as shown in FiO. 3, so as to obstruct as little as possible the transmission ofthe light through the dial, and the object of its projection from the dial is, that its shadow shall be neutralized by one portion of the light falling on the shadow caused by the other portion, which would be impossible were the arm to rest close to the dial. Upon the disk c is formed a raised rim, (represented by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3,) into which the works of the clock are placed, and they are covered and protected by a detachable cap, d, which embraces the raised rim, and is attached thereto by bayonet-fastenings, as shown at s, Fig. l. The winding-key o is inserted through the cap at a point eccentric thereto, as represented in Fig. 3, and it thus prevents the partial ro tation of the cap, and consequently prevents its removal while the key remains in place. The key is held in place in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Upon the key is formed an annular groove, a, into which a spring, m, secured preferably to the under side of the cap, presses; hence the key cannot be withdrawn without disen gaging the spring, but can rotate freely to wind the clock. Thus secured, it is always in place when required, and is prevented from falling out and becoming lost.

As before stated, the cap d cannot be removed while the key is in place, and to rcmove the key, it is necessary to release the spring on., and then withdraw the key, after which the cap may be readily removed. These operations, obviously, can be performed only by design, and hence complete security from accidental removal is effected.

When the clock is used as a nocturnal one, the bracket 7L is secured to the gasburner by means ofthe thumb-screw r, and into its socket is placed the shank f, which thus supports the clock in an upright position before the gasilame, as shown in Fig. l, and, the light passing through thetranslucent dialb,tl1etimeindicated can be plainly discerned bythe observer in front. Yhen used as an ordinary clock, the shank is removed from the socket, and the clock hung upon the wall by the perforated lug l, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position the arm k rests against the wall at the top and the arm i at the bottom, and thus supports the clock in an upright position parallel with the wall.

rlhe supporting-bracket hy is of such a form that it may, by inverting it, be used to support the clock in a position behind the flame ot' the gasburner, so that the light will be thrown upon the front of the dial, and the time thus read by the aid orn rctlected light, as represented by the dotted lines connecting Figs. l and 2. This enables an opaque dial to be used when preferred, and it may be formed directly upon the opaque metallic frame, if desired, for the invention is not necessarily con fined to the use of translucent dials 5 but I prefer to use a translucent dial, as described.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In combination with the frame a and dial I), the arm k, provided with thelug l, and the arm Q7, provided with shank f, arranged and op. erating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The reversible arm zf, provided with the socket g, for holding, in connection with the stationary arm t and its shank f, the clock in position, either in front of or behind the light, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a partially-exposed translucent dial, b, and frame a, the disk c c and the supportingarins c c and i, for holding the works, substantially as shown and described.

4. The winding-key 0,provided with the annular groove n, in combination with the spring m of the cap d, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The removable cap d, provided with thc bayonet-fastening s, in combination with the secured key o and winding-stud, the latter being arranged eccentric ot' the cap, to prevent the partial rotation necessary to disengagc the latter while the key is in place, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof Ih avehereunto signed my naine in the presence ot' two subscribing wie nesses.

Il. A. T. RElNECKE.

Witnesses:

J. FRASER, CHARLES M. HIGGINs. 

